The International Green Construction Code, Standard 189.1 and the LEED green building program plan to cooperate in the creation of documents that will better standardize the construction of sustainable buildings.

Expecting that consistency will benefit the environment, code compliance, builders and designers; several leading associations that develop codes and standards to create green buildings are collaborating to align the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1 and the LEED green building program. The initiative is being welcomed by code officials, architects, engineers and contractors.

"In just a few years, we progressed from developing the first model code for green buildings to a new cooperative document that will make it easier for owners, designers, builders and code officials to deliver sustainable, high-performing buildings," said International Code Council CEO Dominic Sims, CBO.

Cooperating sponsors in the development of the IgCC are ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the U.S. Green Building Council. All have agreed to collaborate on the development of the next edition of the IgCC, ASHRAE Standard 189.1 and the USGBC LEED green building program.

"This agreement also seeks to align the LEED program with the new code to ensure a streamlined, effective set of regulatory and above-code options for jurisdictions across the country," said ASHRAE president Tom Phoenix.

Standard 189.1 will continue to be produced as an American National Standards Institute consensus standard and then delivered to ICC to wrap in to its code-compliance frame and position it for adoption as a building code by states and municipalities.

The technical content of the IgCC will consist of the mandatory, prescriptive and performance -based requirements developed for Standard 189.1. An updated standard will be produced every three years to complement the three-year code cycle.